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I have watched this discussion with interest (age vs. medicals, etc.) and have refrained from joining in. However, I must write. About 24 years ago, my Economics professor at Boise State University wrote a small book called, "To Slay a Giant". His name is Dr. Barry Asmus. He was a pretty conservative guy for a colleg prof., and his pet peeve at that time was OSHA. I had a copy of the book, and I don't remember much about it, except for one line that I memorized, being a student pilot at the time. "Our hats go off to OSHA For Saving Life and Limb, Those Loony Wrights at KittyHawk Will Never Fly Again!" My question: Do we REALLY want absolute safety-- in the air, on the roads-- at any cost? Or do we in this country value one thing above all-- FREEDOM? We can disagree in our debate about the lengths our government goes to protect us from ourselves and from each other. Would anyone say that we have MORE freedom now than we had 20 years ago? 40 years ago? Are we safer? Yes, we are. Most accident stats are down, and I suppose that is good. But at some point, we cross a line that defines us as AMERICANS, not over-regulated beings that populate other countries on this globe. I am still naiive enough to believe that most Americans, at least those of us who were brought up prior to the current generation, have got a little collective common sense. For the most part, we don't need laws with COMPULSIVE or MANDATORY written into them, unless it deals with folks who steal five year old kids from their front yards, rape and kill them. I personally know of an Ercoupe driver from Buhl, Idaho who sold his Alon when he was in his early 90's... not because he could no longer fly or pass his medicals, he just decided it was time. (You can still find him at most local fly-ins, riding right seat with another old timer). I know of another pilot from Buhl who plans to sell his C-182 later this year upon the celebration of his 80th birthday. He always said he would like to fly until he is 80. My Dad turned 78 in June, and still flies (although not often, and he no longer strays far from the uncontrolled Buhl airport). I am so appreciative to have grown up the son of one of these WWII vintage fathers. They taught us about working hard, respecting your elders, respecting your country, and they taught us the love of flying. Watching them grow old, and seeing more and more of them pass on to the big grass strip in the sky has been hard for me. As we discuss limiting their flying by mandatory measures, let's keep in mind that, for those who choose to NOT hang up their wings when the time is right, there are measures already in place that will effectively keep them from flying (the dreaded medical). For those that can pass, and can safely fly, my hat goes off to you, and may you fly as long as you are healthy and well enough to do so. If you have the big one and crash on my house and kill me, well, then it was my time to go, too. I hope to see many pilots a lot older than me, flying old planes for many more years to come. Unfortunately, the years go by all too fast now. For every older pilot or enthusiast who comes up to you at your Ercoupe at the airport, and says, "I took my first ride in an Ercoupe in '53..." there is some young corporate buck who comes up and wants to know what that airplane IS. I only hope that my son, who is 9, will be able to live in a USA with the freedoms that we have NOW-- there is NO hope that he will enjoy the kind of upbringing I had, or my parents had. Those days are gone. I fear we will litigate and legislate ourselves into a corner where no one will fear venture outside of. We will give up our airplanes, our guns, our freedoms... without firing a shot. Just my two cents. May you all have a pleasant Sunday evening. John Barsness N3201H Boise, ID ====================== TO UNSUBSCRIBE go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm
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